European approval for Dova Pharma's Doptelet

Thinly traded micro cap Dova Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: DOVA) rose 4% premarket on light volume after the company revealed that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for its Doptelet (avatrombopag) for the treatment of severe thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) who are scheduled to undergo an invasive procedure.

This adds to the US Food and Drug Administration approval of Doptelet for the indication in May 2018.

“Receiving the European marketing authorization for Doptelet marks another significant milestone for Dova and our growing leadership in the treatment of thrombocytopenia,” said Dr David Zaccardelli, president and chief executive of Dova. “As an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist that can raise platelet levels in CLD patients with thrombocytopenia ahead of an invasive procedure, Doptelet offers a safe and effective alternative to platelet transfusions. Conversations with potential commercial partners are ongoing to make Doptelet available in Europe.”